For a long time, the idea of “wellness” was rooted in the physical. Eating right, exercising, making sure you’re getting enough sleep, that sort of thing. While taking care of our physical bodies is certainly an essential part of health and wellness, experts have found that it’s only one aspect of whole-body wellness ... and that there are many other dimensions that are just as important to our happiness, health and well-being.
“At Aspired Living of La Grange, our motto is Live Well. Age Well. Be Well,” says Terri Geppner, Director of Community Relations at Aspired Living® of La Grange. “As you can see, those three phrases signify a lot more than just staying physically fit. Wellness is a state of mind, not just a state of being, and our signature VIVA!SM programming has been designed to help nurture and encourage all seven dimensions of senior wellness.”
Aspired Living of La Grange, as part of the Pathway to Living® group of senior living communities, is focused on valuing every stage of life. “Moving to senior living should be a natural phase of life that’s celebrated and looked forward to, which is what VIVA! is all about,” says Terri. “It’s a way of life that inspires a sense of meaning and purpose and is focused on the idea that every year of your life should be the best year yet. That’s what aging well means to us, and that’s what we strive to provide each and every day for our residents.”
The VIVA!SM Seven Dimensions of Wellness
The seven dimensions of wellness aren’t something that we at Pathway to Living® thought up, even though it forms the basis of everything we do at our communities. The philosophy originated with Dr. Bill Hettler, co-founder of the National Wellness Institute in the US, who in 1976 developed a model of wellness that helped shape health and happiness for the whole person. The dimensions are: social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, environmental and physical.
What makes these dimensions unique and groundbreaking is that they are positioned as being interconnected and interwoven – not separate or disparate aspects of life. One aspect builds upon the other, much like how our bodies rely on each and every part in order to function as a whole.
Social Wellness is defined as connecting, engaging and interacting with people we care about. This means not just building and nurturing relationships, but also actively doing things with those we care about: participating in programs, having meaningful conversations and continually finding ways to care for each other.
Emotional Wellness means being open to our feelings and emotions and managing them appropriately – in good times and in bad.
Spiritual Wellness means caring for our spiritual nature, either through religion, spirituality or discovering a sense of being part of something greater than ourselves – being a part of the universe at large.
Intellectual Wellness is defined as keeping our minds sharp and being lifelong learners, nurturing that natural curiosity we all have and continuing to stimulate our brains and imaginations.
Occupational Wellness is about finding fulfilling work, whether through a career, volunteer work or meaningful hobbies that bring us joy.
Environmental Wellness is about caring for and living harmoniously with our environment – meaning both our immediate landscape and the world overall.
Physical Wellness is, of course, caring for our bodies and making sure they have everything they need to keep us healthy. Eating well, getting exercise and eschewing destructive habits are all part of this dimension of wellness.
How VIVA!SM Programming Promotes Wellness
VIVA!SM programming is more than just activities and events. We like to say that it’s an ideal ... something that’s threaded through every aspect of our community. It’s an attitude and an outlook that’s all about developing your own personal path. Sure, we have signature programs that are offered each and every day, but at Aspired Living® of La Grange we also want each resident to forge their own way. To that end, we customize our offerings, so each resident finds what’s meaningful to them ... no cookie-cutter programs or activities here. It’s all about living the best senior lifestyle possible, and we provide the tools to help do that.
Here are the programs that are the basis of VIVA!, and are just a sampling of what seniors love about our community.
Grow the artist inside. ArtPATH offers ongoing classes for artists of all ages and all levels. Want to learn the techniques of the masters? Try your hand at sculpting? Get your hands messy? ArtPATH helps you find the creative voice within through a variety of media.
Get out and have adventures. Extreme VIVA!SM a celebration of nature, and encourages our residents to go into the wild to appreciate the fun, beauty and wonder of nature. Everything from horseback riding to camping to fishing is on the table – whatever inspires you and gets you enjoying the fresh air.
Drum up some fun. Good Vibrations, our drumming and vibration circle, gives residents an opportunity to express themselves through a variety of rhythm instruments from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Discover learning for a lifetime. Lifelong learning occurs throughout our life, so each month we offer collegiate-level classes for our residents. What’s your interest? From science to art history to literature and more, it’s a window into a new world.
Adopt a new best friend. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks – or give them a new life? See Spot Retire is our canine companion program that provides senior dogs with a home in our community. Residents get all the benefits of pet companionship without the work – and the doggo gets an immediate, large and loving family.
Practice your green thumb. Gardening is fun for all ages, and it’s even better when you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Our Winter Garden grows a variety of delicious vegetables which are then harvested and used by our culinary staff to create delicious dishes.
Give back to the community. Volunteerism is an important part of life at Aspired Living® of La Grange. We offer opportunities for our residents to join as well as work to help them find avenues to share their passions. Whether you enjoy fundraising, working with animals or teaching children, we’ll help you do what it is you love.
Go on a world tour (without leaving your home). Every month, VIVA!SM World Tour gives residents a chance to explore a new country – its language, culture and cuisine – to learn more about the world around us.
Live Well at Aspired Living® of La Grange.
When you step through the doors of our Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Support community, you’ll notice something different. Something exciting. Something exceptional! At Aspired Living® of La Grange, we believe that moving to senior living is something that should be supported and celebrated.
Wellness is at the heart of everything we do at Aspired Living of La Grange. From VIVA!SM, award-winning programming that inspires each resident every day to live engaged, connected and fulfilled to VIVA! Plus, which brings coordinated healthcare right to our residents' apartments, we do all we can to ensure that our residents Live Well. Age Well. Be Well!
Every day is a new opportunity to grow, laugh, share, learn and thrive. Gather with friends for delicious, nutritious meals in our all-day dining room, or enjoy a lively happy hour in our wine bar. Relax with a massage or spa treatment in our spa and salon. Stay fit and healthy with our fitness center, or spend the day painting in our art studio. It’s all up to you!
Offering delicious dining options, award-winning VIVA! Programming by Pathway to Living®, programming designed to inspire the whole person and so much more, Aspired Living of La Grange provides seniors with the best of both worlds – the exceptional care they require, and the inspiring lifestyle they deserve
To learn more about our community or to reserve your apartment, contact us at 708-365-8593.